


Waking Up is the Hardest Part

by Maebe



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-17
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-18 06:59:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3560423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maebe/pseuds/Maebe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl wakes to an empty bed. But Beth had been there, hadn't she?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waking Up is the Hardest Part

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something that rattled around in my brain and wouldn't leave until I wrote it down. Sorry for errors, its late and I don't have an editor.

Daryl woke up groggy, face smushed into his pillow. The room was quiet, much too quiet. Why was it so quiet? Beth...she was sleeping next to him wasn't she? Why can't he hear her breathing? 

"Beth?" He mumbled out. A silent room was his only answer. 

He reached for her, but felt only cold sheets and an empty space next to him. Cold dread slowly seeped in, like he'd swallowed an ice cube unexpectedly. He didn't want to open his eyes, see the empty space, make it all real. 

It was a dream. Beth was still gone. Still lost to him. Panic was setting in, a band tightened around his ribs, only allowing him to breathe in short sharp bursts. His hand gripped the cold sheets where she should be. It felt so real. He remembered her on his bike, arms around him as they made their way back to Alexandria. He remembers being so tempted to just keep driving. Make it just the two of them again, like it should be.

But it was a fucking dream. The best damn dream and a nightmare all at the same time. Because he was awake now. Without her. 

There were a few shuffling footsteps outside his door before it opened and he was tempted to yell at whoever it was to leave him the fuck alone. He didn't get the chance, they'd closed the door behind them now. 

Fingers softly brushed over his bare shoulder. "Daryl? Are you alright?" 

That got him moving. Eyes open he released the sheets and sat up as fast as he could. And there she was, features smudged by the darkness of the room but certainly there. Beth. 

" 'm I dead?" 

She slid onto the bed to sit next to him, brushing the pieces of hair back that always fell in his eyes. 

"No. You're not dead. Look like you've seen a ghost though." 

He caught her hand as she trailed her fingers down his brow, pressing a kiss into her palm before holding it to his cheek, fingers laced together. 

"Thought you were gone. Woke up, bed was cold and you weren't there. Thought it was a dream." 

The look in her eyes damn near broke his heart. Sad and sorry but so much love at the same time. She climbed into his lap, straddling his hips and buried her free hand in his hair as she pressed her forehead against his. He released the hand on his cheek in favour of wrapping his arms around her small frame, crushing her body into his. 

"Shhhh, it's alright." She whispered. "I only left for the bathroom, I didn't think you'd wake up before I got back."

"Wake me next time? Don't care if I just got t'sleep. Need t'know." 

She pressed a soft kiss onto his lips. 

"Promise."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Drop me a review? I'd love to hear what you thought of it, still new to the whole fic writing thing.


End file.
